Moon Hack

MIT basks in the glow of three supermoons.

February 21, 2018

December 3, 2017

The first of a trilogy of winter supermoons sets over the Great Dome on December 3. If a full moon occurs at perigee—when the moon’s orbit is closest to Earth—the resulting “supermoon” appears up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than usual.

January 2, 2018

The second of three winter supermoons sets over MIT on January 2, 2018.

January 31, 2018

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Animation of the setting of the super blood blue moon over MIT’s Great Dome on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. The animation spans 8 minutes, from 6:40 a.m. to 6:48 a.m. The brightening in the last several frames is caused by the sun’s appearance on the opposite horizon. The upper left portion of the moon darkens as the moon moves into Earth’s shadow.